You've opened up Pandora's box here. Yeah, I was lucky enough to see the changes implemented into car safety - seat belt laws were introduced on new cars in 74. But if like us you had an older car then you only had to retrofit it with front seat belts - that was great for me as a kid, because I could continue to lay on the parcel shelf whilst the car was being driven by my smoking parents. And if there wer 5 kids and 2 adults? No problem - all in the back of the wagon with no seats or seat belts. Better still, wind down the tailgate window and have your feet hanging out the back - we just had to make sure we wouldn't fall asleep because the dirty fumes coming through the back window meant we'd never wake up!
But the deaths meant the laws had to be tightened - no more riding on the back of utilities or, better still, on the back of trailers on the way back from the tip!
But what amazes me th most was being allowed to walk to school at 6 years of age - alone. I then had to cross the busy Waterdale Road at the school crossing with no lollypop ladies to ensure we were safe. But hey, the flags were put on the crossing poles and drivers had to stop; well some did!
